Summary
- Nintendo revolutionized motion gaming with Wii Sports, showcasing how motion controls could be accessible and fun for all ages.
- Some games, like 1-2 Switch, expertly integrate motion controls into gameplay, while others, like Surgeon Simulator CPR, offer quirky experiences.
- The best motion games, like Breath of the Wild and Beat Saber, show how motion controls can enhance gameplay and offer unique experiences.
Motion controls became something of a fad after the Wii launched in 2006. Due to the console's monstrous success, this prompted Sony and Microsoft to more-or-less copy Nintendo's blueprint. Would games be better off without the surge in motion controls? Frankly, for some of them, the answer is yes. For others, the mechanic is so expertly built into the game's DNA that no other system could work.
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PostsNow, Sony and Nintendo are the only two console companies still in the motion gaming business. We've now had over 15 years with the "gimmick". Which just begs the question: what are the best motion games? Let’s get to the ranking!
Updated on March 28, 2025 by Quinton O'Connor: We're about to learn tons of information about Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2. Whether that includes any new motion control games, we can't yet say, but there's surely some new fare on the horizon in the years to come. We've added a bit more to this now-classic list of ours in anticipation!
23 1-2 Switch (Switch)
Everybody 1-2-Switch!
Powered by Expand CollapseIn the same way that Wii Sports was the experimental launch title to showcase the Wii's breadth of potential, 1-2 Switch was the irrevocable proof that the Nintendo Switch meant serious business. Again, much like Wii Sports, 1-2 Switch is a collection of mini-games designed for local multiplayer shenanigans.
It allows friends (and foes, we don't discriminate) to compete in events that span from magical duels to plate spinning to cow... milking. Okay, so some mini-games are bizarre, but they undeniably utilize the motion controls in hilarious and surprisingly precise ways.
2023 saw the release of Everybody 1-2 Switch, a surprise sequel. Unfortunately, it's not quite as good as the original, which is, in and of itself, kind of divisive.
22 Punch-Out (Wii)
3 Images 3 Images ClosePunch-Out!!
Fighting Action Released May 18, 2009WHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICALThe 2009 remake of Punch-Out for the Wii opted for players to have three separate ways to control their favorite little boxer. Firstly, there's the standard SNES control scheme, where every action is explicitly tied to button input.
Secondly, there's mixed input/motion controls, where the player personally throws the punches by thrusting either half of the Wii controller. The third and least favored option involves the use of the Wii Motion Board, where all dodges are done via actual crouching.
The Motion Board is unwieldy and frustrating but the minimally invasive standard motion control variation is engaging and fun, even if it massively increases the chance of accidentally tossing your Wii Remote into the TV screen.
21 Superhot VR (PS4, Microsoft Windows)
Superhot
FPS Released February 25, 2016WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALThere is a game at the crossroads between Mirror's Edge and The Matrix and that game is Super Hot VR. The concept is unique in that time only moves when you do, so as long as you hold perfectly still, no one can harm you. It's weirdly empowering to stand there and see your digital opponents frozen in space, but progress can't be made without movement, so you do have to unfreeze them eventually.
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PostsBecause of the conceit of the game, the motion controls feel integral and natural. It's the exact emotional opposite of the feeling you get watching literally any 3D movie from the last two decades.
20 Red Steel 2 (Wii)
Red Steel 2
First-Person Shooter Beat 'Em Up Released March 23, 2010WHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICALDespite its creativity and boldness (especially for a launch title), the first Red Steel garnered a mixed reception. Years later, though, Ubisoft went back to the drawing board, reworking the visual style and various gameplay elements for the sequel.
The result is a stylistic hybrid of an Old West shooter and an Eastern-style sword fighter. While it was still a bit rough around the edges for some, Red Steel 2 was praised for its artistic flair and its smoother, more inventive use of the Wii's motion control.
It's largely been forgotten, but this action-packed romp still shines as one of the best games to utilize Nintendo's Wii MotionPlus.
19 Surgeon Simulator CPR (Switch)
Surgeon Simulator
Let's be clear. This game has some decidedly NSFW imagery going on. If the above makes you at all squeamish, strongly consider not picking it up, because you'll be dutifully picking through people's guts on a routine basis if you decide Surgeon Simulator CPR is the game for you.
The sheer premise of this game, and the series it belongs to, makes it a must-add to our list. In practice, it's a fairly decent if unspectacular simulator that gets by on the wild idea that you can totally play it co-op with a buddy holding one Joy-Con and you're gripping the other. That makes for the most awkward CPR session in the world, and that alone warrants its $13 price tag.
18 D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (Xbox One)
Genre
Developer
Multiplayer?
Adventure
Access Games
No
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die
Adventure Indie Casual Released September 19, 2014WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALRemember when Microsoft was 100 percent behind the Kinect for Xbox One? Do you also remember how they burnt that bridge faster than one could say, ‘‘Skittles!” That reference is a deep cut, but hopefully, someone gets a laugh out of it.
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PostsD4, from the curious mind of Deadly Premonition's Swery65, can be controlled normally, but it is easier to navigate with one’s hands. Even though Microsoft and Access Games discontinued their partnership, thus canceling the rest of the chapters of the game, D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die's strangeness is still well worth a look.
17 The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (Switch)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
Adventure Released July 16, 2021WHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICALWell now, this is ironic. The original Skyward Sword, a Wii-era adventure that had the supreme misfortune of launching toward the end of the Wii's run when the hype had faded and interest waned, built itself from the ground up on the premise that motion controls had never before been so well-realized. Everything from fishing to swordplay mandated the Wii MotionPlus controls.
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PostsWhen Nintendo announced Skyward Sword would soon receive a Switch port, plenty of folks rejoiced specifically because it would support a lack of motion controls via the Switch Pro Controller. The new and improved motion controls have been somewhat unfairly ignored because they are so much better than they used to be.
No more awkward disconnects, no more real-world sword-swinging you know in your heart of hearts was replicated incorrectly in-game, and best of all, none of Fi's countless warnings that the Wiimote's batteries are almost depleted.
16 Fantasia: Music Evolved (Xbox 360 And Xbox One)
Genre
Developer
Multiplayer?
Rhythm
Harmonix
Yes
Disney dazzled movie-going audiences with its then-groundbreaking animated film, Fantasia. Decades later, the famed studio - coupled with Harmonix - sought to do the same in the music game scene.
The game plays out in a simple manner on the one hand - though it effectively draws from the strengths of the Kinect by prompting players with a range of hand and arm motions. In a sense, the game plays like a trippy, celestial version of Just Dance fused with Guitar Hero. You'll be synchronizing the rhythms and motions of your arm movements with vibrant, colorful visual cues on screen.
The experience feels like both a light show and an interactive rhythm romp, which can be enjoyed solo or with a friend.
15 Mario Tennis Aces (Switch)
Mario Tennis Aces
Sports Released April 20, 2020WHERE TO PLAY
PHYSICALThe Mario Tennis brand has been around for some 20 years and counting. Tennis being what it is - a physically demanding sport where balls slam into rackets and each competitor feels that hard smack in their hands and forearms - it was always going to be an appealing venue for Nintendo to explore via motion control technology.
Their Wii port of the GameCube's Mario Power Tennis, however, was criticized for somewhat inadequate implementation.
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PostsThe second time's the charm for developer Camelot Software. Thanks to the Switch's Joy-Con controllers, that aforementioned kineticism that helps to define the sport can truly be felt at last. From subtle vibrations as the tennis ball nears its destination to full-blown vibrations as the ball bumps into Mario's racket (and an appropriately "bouncy" aftermath as it's flung back across the net), Mario Tennis Aces has it all.
14 Just Dance 2023 (Various)
Genre
Developer
Multiplayer?
Rhythm
Ubisoft
Yes
Just Dance 2023 Edition
Rhythm Released November 22, 2022WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALYou might think it's impossible to list the best games with motion controls without Just Dance, but surprisingly enough, we're only just now adding it in with the latest update. It's flown under our radar somehow, despite its massive popularity; perhaps because it's so synonymous with our subject, it's always felt implied.
There's nothing especially grand about the Just Dance series' 2023 edition. Its features are almost identical to the 2020, 2021, and 2022 versions. Its UI is, indeed, exactly the same as 2022's. Its song list, including hits from Evanescence and Taylor Swift to Doja Cat and Tiger Monkey is solid... but most Just Dance games are solid in that regard.
Just note that, if you're planning to pick up 2023, and you intend to tap into motion controls, you should avoid the Xbox Series X|S or PS5 ports. Neither console has innate motion control technology, after all.
